DENVER  The first of four Democratic gun proposals to be heard Friday, a ban on high-capacity magazines, cleared the statehouse on an initial voice vote around 3 p.m. after a six-hour debate.

Over the course of the last four or five years, weve had 34 mass shootings using high capacity magazines, said Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, whose district includes the Century 16 theater where 12 people were killed in a mass shooting last July.

That is the common thread we see in these massacres. Theyre using these high-capacity magazines so they can unload as many bullets as they can to kill as many people as they can, in our schools, in our theaters and in our churches.

A parade of Republicans took to the well Friday to speak at length in opposition to every aspect the bill; but the Democratic majority, with at least three members breaking ranks and voting against House Bill 1224, passed the measure on second reading over those sustained objections.

If you vote for this bill, you are gambling on the safety of Coloradans, said Minority Leader Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs. There is no evidence that banning these magazines will have any positive impact on public safety and you are taking them away from responsible, law-abiding citizens.

Republicans also focused attention on Boulder-based Magpul Industries, the $400 million magazine manufacturer now threatening to leave Colorado if this ban becomes law; and, five hours into the debate, the House GOP informed reporters that a Magpul supplier, Alfred Manufacturing, may also have to move its Denver plant, and 150 jobs there, to another state.

Democrats amended the bill to allow Magpul to continue to manufacture high-capacity magazines in Colorado for sale in other states, but the company remained opposed to the ban.

Republicans argued that the amendment, which would enable the continued use of magazines of more than 15 clips elsewhere, illustrated hypocrisy.

Now we know what this bill is really about, said Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling. Its all about the money! Is that what this bills about? That we dont care about other people across the country?

Democrats said theyre simply striving to find a balance that protects affected businesses while improving public safety.

This represents us listening to a constituency base, said Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton.

Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, referred to the amendment as the oops amendment, arguing that Democrats forgot about the impact on businesses when drafting the bill.

The strident opposition to House Bill 1224, one of the two measures the House GOP entered the day with hope of defeating, presaged a long floor fight over the four Democratic gun control measures that Is expected to last late into the night and possibly Saturday morning.

Republicans began the day hoping they can find five Democrats to vote against the bill and help kill it; at least four Democrats have expressed reservations but House Speaker Mark Ferrandino is confident that the high-capacity magazine ban will pass the House at the end of this long debate.

One moderate Democrat who Republicans needed to vote against the bill, Rep. Mike McLachlan of Durango, had already voted for the ban during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.

On Friday, he strode to the well to inform his colleagues hed be doing so again.

I rise in support of this bill, said McLachlan, a Vietnam Vet who narrowly won a GOP-leaning district last November, sounding the unofficial death knell for the GOPs attempted filibuster.

No constitutional right, even the Second Amendment, is absolute.

Following the voice vote on the high-capacity ammunition ban, lawmakers immediately began debating House Bill 1226, which mandates background checks on all gun purchases in the state that is also sponsored by Fields.

The other measures before the House Friday, or perhaps early Saturday morning, include legislation to force gun buyers to pay for those background checks and a ban on concealed weapons on college campuses.

There have been far more people who needed the extra ammo to defend themselves than have gone on rampages with it. Nothing is perfect, and limiting cars to going only 10 mph would sure cut down on auto accident deaths, but transportation would really stink.

6
posted on 02/15/2013 8:48:51 PM PST
by HiTech RedNeck
(How long before all this "fairness" kills everybody, even the poor it was supposed to help???)

"One moderate Democrat who Republicans needed to vote against the bill, Rep. Mike McLachlan of Durango"

All of which goes to show, there is NO such thing as a moderate democRAT in any way. They will ALWAYS vote their party socialist ideology & agenda, and will vote against a socialist bill only if their vote is not needed. This way the democRAT bastards can claim to be "pro-gun, or pro-life, or pro-traditional marriage or pro-whatever", knowing that their vote wasn't needed to pass some democRAT atrocious bill.

i believe magpul has stated they will leave colorado if this becomes law.

so are we now going to check mass murderers in colorado to see when they bought the magazines so we know if we need to add additional charges. frigging idiots. this is what happens when to many illegals and californians infest your state.

10
posted on 02/15/2013 9:04:30 PM PST
by bravo whiskey
(People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.)

"...Over the course of the last four or five years, weve had 34 mass shootings using high capacity magazines, said Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora..."

It strikes me as odd that she gives a very specific number of "mass shootings," but can't pin it down to a specific time frame. Does she mean 34 in Colorado in the last 4-5 years, or in the US as a whole? Does this include gangstuh-on-gangstuh shootouts and drive-by's?

These democrats have to know that they are acting in violation of the Constitution, in opposition to the wishes of the majority of their constituents and in a manner that will jeopardize their chances of re-election. There's got to be a lot of pressure coming from the white house.

Call me picky etc, BUT the headline insinuates The US House of
Representatives approved the ban, which would have required several R’s to bolt.
Not that they wouldn’t have etc but it would have been nice to mention it was the Colorado House.

21
posted on 02/15/2013 9:41:55 PM PST
by xrmusn
(6/98 "It is virtually impossible to clean the pond as long as the pigs are still crapping in it")

the common thread i’ve seen is that the idiot nutbags have essentially chosen gun-free zones on purpose so that they don’t encounter anyone who can fight back with equivalent force, and when they do, they surender or kill themselves.

the solution is no gun free zones anymore and let citizens arm themselves to defend themselves when a nutbag pops up.

“They said if this passes they are gone. Hope they stick to their guns. So to speak.”

And if they do not, then i will not buy any more magpul products ( as difficult as that may be).

All of us can play the economic squeeze game. I don’t think magpul, or many other firearms and accessory manufacturers have enough liberal clientele to make up for losses from second amendment supporters.

I got a response from difi today telling me that though she appreciates my viewpoint (yeah, right) she disagrees and has seen an increase in the mass shootings blah blah blah. A little simple math would show that the huge increase in gun ownership and the millions of “high capacity” mags sold over the past several years, the per capita rates are actually much much lower than they would have us believe. But, that doesn’t “add” up for their goals. 91% increase in sales over Bush 43? WOW!

27
posted on 02/15/2013 10:11:39 PM PST
by rktman
(Live the oath you took or get out of office!)

"That is the common thread we see in these massacres. Theyre using these high-capacity magazines so they can unload as many bullets as they can to kill as many people as they can, in our schools, in our theaters and in our churches.

Nope, thanks for playing.

The common thread is that in all of these venues, either by policy or law, people are forbidden from carrying a weapon capable of stopping the killers.

From the Long Island Railway to Columbine, it is the same thing: a pen full of sheep with a wolf and the sheep had the sheepdogs' teeth pulled.

More of that failed policy will yield no change in results.

31
posted on 02/15/2013 11:22:48 PM PST
by Smokin' Joe
(How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)

You have your job cut out for you, Colorado. Be the freedom fighters of WWII, and refuse, delay, deny, obstruct and sabotage the left in any way you can. Google them and read who they were, what they did and how they did it. Work with like minded groups, like the www.oathkeepers.org, where you can meet like-minded people like yourself and share ideas, plans..otherwise, keep your politics and your action plans to yourself..this is not the time to verbally advertise until you know that the person/people you are talking to share your beliefs. The left MUST not get our guns and our ammo. We are within our rights to protect ourselves and our families against violence from any source AND tyrannical governments/dictators like oboma.

You need to organize and join forces with others like yourself...this is the time that will try men's souls to be sure. Stand fast for what you believe in, think smart and say a prayer.

So some states will have 7, some 10, some 15 rounds limits? Some none? I assume the 7 round ones will have least gun crimes and there should be a linear progression to more as the mag round limit goes up?

Bad guys intent on doing harm carry many magazines. Good guy, not anticipating trouble, carries one legal but reduced capacity magazine. Studies show that under stress even trained professionals often need more than one high capacity magazine to subdue a target. Who does this bill favor? You have limited the right of an honest person to defend him or herself. Keep passing laws of this type and soon (if not already) we will be ruled by gangs of thugs, government included.

The facts ring loud and clear, the obfuscation and lack
of liberal logic are ruling the day in CO. I’m not seeing
much success in protecting ourselves as potential slaves
or sheep from those who think law and government go hand
in hand in the interest of “the People”.

As to absolutes, that seems to be the ultimate problem
which libs, progressives, socialists and all the others
off the balanced center, have with life, they just don’t
know how, or cannot deal with the absolutes in life.
Speaking of absolutes, when was life not an absolute?

That's the idea; that's the intent. The law-abiding will be fined, jailed, audited, fired, sued or otherwise punished to death, because it is the lawless who pass the laws. The malevolent are looking after their own.

41
posted on 02/16/2013 5:30:47 AM PST
by Ezekiel
(The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)

“When are our crazy politicians going to admit its people; not guns that kill. Criminals are going to get guns no matter what”

Seriously? NEVER! They have, I believe, with the complicit MSN, a majority of Americans convinced of their rhetoric. All to make it easier to confiscate, incrementally, all weapons that can be used to resist tyranny.

Just how many people in this country still believe that the government is here to serve the people? NEWSFLASH! There is no Santa Claus, or Easter Bunny, and the government is not here to help us.

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